Sean Herman

I've moved my bi-weekly newsletter, That Digital Dad, to Substack (again) given Revue is going away. Check it out and subscribe here 👇 thatdigitaldad.substack.com

I wrote more here: thatdigitaldad.substack.com/p/in-defence-o…

Maybe we've been thinking about screen time the wrong way. A group chat isn't the same as an algorithmic feed. One is a conversation with people you know. The other is designed to keep you scrolling for as long as possible. If the mall was our generation's third place, the group chat might be this generation's.

I wrote more about what the UK got right, what still needs to be answered and what parents can do today: thatdigitaldad.substack.com/p/the-uk-will-…

A social media ban for kids under 16 sounds like decisive action. Whether it actually makes kids safer is a much harder question. Age limits are only part of the equation. If platforms continue to reward addictive design and unsafe experiences, we're treating the symptom instead of the cause.

I wrote more about that here: open.substack.com/pub/thatdigita…

We spend a lot of time talking about what technology is doing to kids. We spend a lot less time asking kids what they’re actually doing with technology. Some of the most interesting reporting I’ve read lately suggests that many teens understand AI chatbots, influencers and online content far better than adults give them credit for. That doesn’t mean there aren’t risks. There are. But it does mean the story is more nuanced than the headlines suggest.

I wrote more about that here: open.substack.com/pub/thatdigita…

The screen time debate is back. But the conversation has changed. For years, parents were told to focus on the clock: how many hours, how many minutes, how much was “too much.” But the bigger issue was never just time. It was what kids were doing online, and what platforms were designed to do in return. We’re finally starting to ask better questions.

@Jamie_Fitch Great point. I grew up at a time when you were online or offline. It's all mashed together now. Kids don't have the same constructs as their parents when it comes to screens which can create obvious conflict.

@thatdigitaldad That's most every game. Digital and physical are blurred with younger generations that grew up with screens. My kids don't talk about their online friends / activities any differently, or if they do, it's *more* reverential bc of the obvious shared bond.

We keep talking about Roblox like it’s a game. A lot of kids use it more like a social network. That distinction matters. When parents hear “gaming,” they think about screen time and purchases. When they hear “social media,” they think about strangers, inappropriate content, compulsive use and safety settings. Roblox has far more in common with the second category than many adults realize. If we misunderstand the platform, we end up having the wrong conversations about it.

@drakmog Couldn't agree with you more. There is a lot of nuance beyond the blanket term of screen time.

@thatdigitaldad exactly. "screen time" as a frame makes parents budget minutes when they should be auditing the platform. roblox vs minecraft are the same screen, completely different conversation. so are youtube videos vs autoplay shorts.

I wrote more about that here: thatdigitaldad.substack.com/p/roblox-isnt-…

The manosphere didn’t just go viral. It was rewarded. What Inside the Manosphere shows is bigger than a few harmful influencers. It’s what happens when platforms keep boosting outrage, extremity and performance because that’s what drives attention. I wrote more about that here 👇 open.substack.com/pub/thatdigita…

Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/thatdigita…

Parents are not exactly embracing AI for kids. In our recent community survey, fewer than 20% said they were comfortable with it. And yet the rollout is happening anyway. This edition of That Digital Dad breaks down why that matters, how it mirrors the social media cycle, and why waiting until harm appears is the worst time to start building protections.

We all know how this story ends, by @thatdigitaldad open.substack.com/pub/thatdigita…

More than 80% of parents in our community said they’re not comfortable with kids using AI products. That should be enough to slow things down. Instead, AI is already showing up in schools, toys, tutoring tools and kids’ apps. This edition of That Digital Dad looks at the pattern we keep repeating with new technology: adoption first, guardrails later. We saw it with social media. We may be watching it happen again with AI for kids.

@thaithaimakmak I'm I'0

Let's look at this from another view 🤯

Read more: open.substack.com/pub/thatdigita…

Kids glued to screens again? You’re not imagining it. Most kids exceed recommended screen time and yet not all screen time is created equal. Did you know some online activities can actually boost creativity and problem solving skills? How do you feel about your child’s screen time? Guilty, relaxed or somewhere in between? 📷 Check comment for the newsletter!